Archive for June 19th, 2008

Since I gave y’all my makeup wearing background and asked about y’alls favorite makeup lines and products, I figured, why not share mine? This post is gonna be chock full of gorgeous swag AND coupon codes so y’all can grab some wonderful beauty products too. I’m all about saving a dollar when I can.

Now, in case y’all hadn’t realized it, I love to shop. One would think I have much more money than I have considering the amount of shopping I do. Not so. I believe in coupons and such, so whenever I find a company I love, I sign up for emails and whatever rewards program they have.

So, first up is Sephora. I love grabbing their bath and body line, and a while ago I discovered the Whipped Body Delights. They’re super moisturising, and they smell so delicious. I grabbed this set:

This is the Sorbet Set. It comes with four scents: Pink Grapefruit, Grapeseed, White Peach, and Lemon Drop. I loved all but the pink grapefruit. There was nothing bad about it; I’m just not a fan of grapefruit in any form (the actual fruit, juice, scents…yeah. ew.) But my mother absolutely loves it. There is also an Ice Cream Set available (that’s getting ordered next week). It has Coffee & Cream, Peppermint Mocha, Marshmallow, and Vanilla Frosting in the set. Don’t want to commit to four at once? Well, they also sell some individually (but many of the scents I mentioned only come in the sets). What I would do is order the sets, pick my favorites, and give away the rest. The sets will run you $20 apiece, and the individual ones run from $4 to $8 depending on the scent.

Now, this is the thing about Sephora. If you want their deals, you’re totally gonna have to sign up for their emails. Also, join their Beauty Insider club! It’s free! They send emails with special codes to deluxe(read: bigger sized) samples, and when you spend $100, you get a special super deluxe sample with your next order. I’m up to 90 points. Yeah. Oh, and if you want their sale stuff? Type “sale” in their search bar, and it’ll take you to the sale section. Some stuff is up to 70% off!

Next up: Clinique. Now, Clinique is absolutely not cheap. I know, I know. But you can still get great deals from their website. Join Club Clinique (again, it’s free!) or join the email list…or do both like me. Every week I get a new code towards getting extra swag with my order or free shipping…or both. For example, this week, you can get a free travel-size Superbalm Moisturising Gloss and free shipping with any purchase by entering CONCERNS at checkout. BUT! You gotta be a Club Clinique member to redeem. So go do that. Now. Go. Because the code’s only good till June 23.

Ok, Ok. I keep showing y’all places with the not so cheap swag. Let me make it up (ha! puns! I’m so funny.) to you. Welcome to Eyes Lips Face. Y’all, the first time I met this website I was AMAZED. Just about everything there (excluding the mineral makeup and the bath and body stuff) is just $1. No, seriously. I spent about $25 dollars that first visit and got a BOATLOAD of swag. Now typically, I’m not an advocate of the $1 makeup, because I feel one should pay for quality. Y’all, this makeup is the awesome, even for that $1, and I did a mini shopping spree not to long ago. I spent maybe $15 total (shipping and all folks) and got some great stuff. My favorite pieces to grab? The brightening eye color, the liquid eyeliner, and the Super Glossy Lip Shine. With deals this good, who needs offer codes? YOU DO, because even with these prices, they still send out codes, tips, and looks in their emails. So go sign up for that. Oh, and you get a gift for your birthday.

Still want some cheapie looks? Well, head on over to Ulta! They have a mix of the bargains (you can get your CoverGirl, Revlon, Almay, and such here) and the luxe (Urban Decay, Too Faced, Lorac, Smashbox) so you can decide how much of a treat you want to give yourself. They also have great bath and body items…seriously, y’all, Ulta has everything. Including a rewards program (Ulta Beauty Rewards), which helps you earn points towards free swag, and awesome gifts with purchase. Sign up for the emails, and every week, you get a new coupon code to put towards your online purchases (get the rewards card, and you’ll get coupons in the mail you can take to the stores!) So, to get you started, use promo code 93849 to get $3.50 off a $10 or more purchase. If you decide to scoop some BareMinerals, do so from here, because you can get it shipped to you free when you enter code SHIPBAREFREE at checkout. AND if you spend $40 or more you get a free Rose Radiance All Over Face color too…while supplies last. Hop on this one now, folks, ’cause BareMinerals goes fast. These promotions end June 28, 2008, so you have a little time to fully click about the site and decide what you want. For more special offers, click here to go to a listing.

And finally, I wanted to show you some swag I scooped from Urban Decay. I’m pretty new to the brand, but they have the bold, eye-popping colors I absolutely love. I signed up for email updates the other day, and I was excited to get an email with a code to get a free mini lipgloss set. I’d give y’all the code…but it expired (sorry, y’all. but next code I’ll share, I promise!) Here’s the lipgloss set:

This is the XXX Shine Stash. It’s a set of mini forms of their XXX Shine Gloss. It has peppermint oil, so it gives you a bit of a tingle when you put it on, and the colors are very blendable (even the red isn’t too harsh) so you can layer it over lipstick or just wear it alone for a sheer hit of color. Yours for $25.

This is a pic of the Cocoa, but it also comes in Caramel, Marshmallow, and Honey. I have the Caramel. It leaves a beautiful shimmer, and if your date/significant other/puppy gets friendly, they get a burst of flavor with each kiss…or puppy kiss. Yours for $15 to $26, depending on the flavor.

And to round out my first Urban Decay order, I scooped some eyeshadow. I picked Midnight Cowgirl, a gorgeous sparkly pale gold color.

Now, if y’all are looking for brands/stores that don’t do animal testing? Urban Decay (and it’s sister site, Hard Candy), Too Faced, Eyes Lips Face cosmetics, Clinique, Almay, and many others (these are my favorites) don’t. If you aren’t sure, go to the product’s website and look. Often, they’ll have a section where they’ll state if they do. Can’t find it? More than likely they do, or you’ll have to go to the corporate website to find out. Such is the case of many drugstore brands (like CoverGirl, you’d have to go to Proctor and Gamble’s website to find out.)

And so ends the beauty swag post. Did I leave out any deals y’all know about? Didn’t mention your favorite cosmetic store or brand? Leave them in the comments! And y’all have a glamorous day!